Warren Hughes will head to Ireland this weekend to embark on a campaign he believes may prove to be the most exciting of his career in top-flight motorsport.

Warren Hughes will head to Ireland this weekend to embark on a campaign he believes may prove to be the most exciting of his career in top-flight motorsport.

The Wearsider will open his British Touring Car Campaign at Mondello Park with realistic ambitions of challenging for the 2003 crown with the MG Sport and Racing outfit.

The 34-year-old was quickest in the first official test session of the year at Brands Hatch and looks capable of carrying the fight to the likes of Matt Neal and James Thompson in what promises to be a closely-contested season.

And with the improvements made to the MG ZS this winter already paying dividends, Hughes is keen for a good start in Dublin to prove his BTCC title credentials.

"I am really excited and I just hope we can get the success we are capable of, the results the car is capable of," said a driver who, in his debut season last year, finished sixth in the drivers' standings.

"It's always exciting when you are winning. When you are winning in something as high-profile and well-regarded as the BTCC it is even better.

There is a lot of satisfaction to take from fighting for titles and challenging the top drivers.

"This is what appeals to me, this is what it is about, this is why I get up in the mornings

"The way things have gone in the last few weeks has left me feeling very optimistic and very upbeat."

Hughes and the MG team will arrive in Dublin on Saturday to prepare for practice and qualifying on Sunday. The first two rounds of the 2003 campaign will be contested on Easter Monday.

Meanwhile, Tyneside teenager Peppe Lucchesi will return to action on Easter Monday, after 18 months out of the sport, when he makes his Zip-Ford Formula debut at Mallory Park. The 18-year-old, whose single-seater will carry Jordan Grand Prix logos, has penned a deal to contest the opening five races of the 12-round series and is hoping to complete the full season.

Lucchesi only carried out his first test session yesterday and, although the lateness of his entry means he will begin the season with a disadvantage, the talented driver from Whitley Bay believes he will soon get to grips with the challenge.

"Obviously it isn't going to be easy, there's a lot to learn," he said last night. "Everything is new to me; the cars, the tyres and most of the circuits, but it will just be great to be racing again."